A windowless A/C unit is a self-contained free standing air conditioner that does not need to rest on your windowsill.

Many experts posit that windowless A/C units offer lower efficiency than other units. However, there are many advantages of buying a free standing model.

Chief among these is that this kind of unit is much easier to install, efficiently cools rooms that run hot and are not adequately cooled by another A/C system, and is capable of clearing out smoke odors.

Below is an overview of the benefits and drawbacks of buying a windowless air conditioner.

In addition to easier installation, windowless units are not eyesores. Moreover, as only one tube must be fed out of the window, these units are very unobtrusive and are hard to see from outside your home.

A windowless A/C may also be a wise choice if you already have a central HVAC system and just want to have a little extra cooling in your home.

For instance, using a windowless unit in a room that does not receive adequate cooling via your central A/C system might be a wise idea. Rooms located on a second floor or especially sunny areas might have problems getting adequately cool solely from the central air system.

Placing a windowless A/C in such overheated rooms effectively addresses this problem, however. Doing so helps keep hot air out of the room and also means that colder air will circulate throughout the rest of your home.

Windowless units are also great for effective odor control. As they always draw air from outside, a single-hose unit is especially efficient for removing offensive smells such as cigarette or cigar smoke.

This type of air conditioning unit can also prevent odors from migrating into other areas of your home. This beneficial effect is due to the lower air pressure in the room where the unit is installed compared to other areas of your home. This results in effective odor containment.

In fact, where cigarette smoke containment is a primary goal, a windowless A/C unit is actually a superior choice over a central air system. Central units may actually move cigarette smoke throughout the whole home, whereas a windowless unit contains the smoke odor.

Finally, windowless models are quite often more affordable than other types of units.

Now for the drawbacks…

Experts concur that windowless units have a tendency to take a long time to cool a room off. Some research suggests that windowless units require more than double the amount of time to cool a room in comparison to window units.

Windowless A/C units also may have less effectiveness in very hot climates. As these machines constantly pull air from the outside into a room, they do not perform as well when outside temperatures are extremely warm.

Windowless air conditioning units are often more costly to operate than window models. As the unit constantly pulls hot air from outside, it does not function in an especially efficient fashion. It must therefore work harder and run longer to cool your room, thereby resulting in higher energy bills.

The last potential drawback of windowless A/C units is that they are effective in only a single room. Due to their design, these types of units simply do not put out sufficient power to move cold air into several rooms.

Per Consumer Reports, these units frequently have inaccurate BTU ratings. Instead of having BTUs comparable to portable units, window air conditioners cool smaller areas for the same BTU.

A free standing air conditioner will not cool your whole house in the midst of a scorching heat wave. It might also cost you higher electricity bills.

Jane Damad writes about air conditioners on her blog, The Air Conditioner Guide. For more tips, check out these helpful guides: Delonghi Air Conditioner Guide, Everstar Air Conditioners, and Where to Find Kenmore Air Conditioner Parts.

Jane Damad writes about air conditioners on her blog, The Air Conditioner Guide. For more tips, check it out here: http://www.theairconditionerguide.com

Author Bio: Jane Damad writes about air conditioners on her blog, The Air Conditioner Guide. For more tips, check out these helpful guides: Delonghi Air Conditioner Guide, Everstar Air Conditioners, and Where to Find Kenmore Air Conditioner Parts.

Category: Home Management
Keywords: free standing air conditioner, everstar air conditioner, kenmore air conditioner